Aston Villa - has the Randy Lerner bubble finally burst?
An interesting debate has sprung up over at the AVFC Blog on whether the real Randy Lerner is what the PR has led us to believe (a genuine fan who will spend millions to turn Aston Villa into a top four side) or whether he’s another businessman who saw the riches the Premier League could offer and picked Aston Villa as a good piece of real state.
Like Damian says in the comments - the author’s viewpoints are just opinions and present the situation in an interesting light. Certainly it remains to be seen if Randy Lerner will invest heavily in the squad over the summer to beef up the numbers (having a small squad might have cost Aston Villa a couple of games this season, which could mean the difference between a European adventure next season and staying at home on Thursday nights.
The points Anthony raises definitely need to be backed up with solid facts (he hasn’t provided any sources), but overall the debate seems to have missed the mark entirely.
To assume that someone is going to invest millions in your club and do it without committing to run it as a profitable enterprise is naive to the extreme. Millionaires don’t become millionaires by letting their hearts rule their wallets - they use their heads and every investment they make is measured with long-term profit in mind. And if someone inherits a fortune, they are more often than not schooled from a young age the value of money and the value of profitability.
Randy Lerner hasn’t let anyone down - in fact his presence has so far been a bonus for Aston Villa and if that’s not the case, it needs to be proven with evidence and not mere opinions.
We’ve seen this happen before this season - with Liverpool when the fans finally realised that the PR blitz by Hicks and Gillett talking about the club’s tradition was just that: PR - and if Aston Villa fans are becoming disillusioned, all the better for them.
It’s a business folks, we need to learn to live with it.
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Just because he’s a businessman, it doesn’t mean he’s not a fan. And vice versa. Levy at Spurs has proven that profit is a massive motivation, as did Sugar before him. Ultimately, only a small minority of modern-day chairmen are willing to invest and support their team at a loss regardless. The likes of Al Fayed, and several lower-league clubs.
Interesting no-one has mentioned Mansfield “Harchester” Town.
Hugo, I’ll be sticking up something on Mansfield tomorrow - just need to finalise the article when I get home from work tonight.
As for Lerner, I think it’s a bit early to say (still) how good Lerner’s been for the club.
He certainly knows a good bit of PR and has a feel for the club’s hsitory, which is more than a lot of the new owners have done. They’re also building slowly and the fact they’ve even been able to, at one point, challenge for a Champions League spot this league is an indication they’re moving in the right direct.
I’m pretty sure Lerner’s opened his pockets at various stages even if he hasn’t been extravagant. Which is probably sensible. If rivals clubs know you’ve got cash to splash they’ll raise their prices.
There may be something in what’s being said at the Villa blog, although much of it feels like a kneejerk sulk to a hammering from Man U.
Randy Lerner has put £33M into Aston Villa since he took over 18 months ago. This is £33M more than Doug Ellis put in during 25 years of stewardship !!!! Criticism of the American is laughable. A man who is apparently prepared to forego a £2M shirt sponsorship deal is NOT going to worry about investing in players. Lerner is a God send and every Villa fan knows it.
One comment on the article; Randy Lerner did not become a millionaire by showing good business sense. He inherited his wealth from his father. He uses his money to pursue his interests. This has included giving £5M to the the National Gallery. He hasn’t got money to burn but his heart is in the right place and full houses a Villa Park indicate that Villa fans know the man at the top is on their side.
Bless him.
not everyone is roman abramovich , folks. most owners are in for profit. i am sure roman is too , but he has got enough pocket change in billions to worry about losses.
sorry , not to worry about lossed.